The Kenosis Hymn: 5 Fascinating Facts about Philippians 2:6-11

“Kenosis” is a Greek word that literally means “the act of emptying”. The verb form is used in Philippians 2:7 to describe Jesus Christ’s awesome act of humility in remaining God but becoming a human as well. This is a beautiful passage of Scripture (And you can review it at the end of this page). 

Unfortunately some have abused it, teaching that Jesus gave up part or all of His Divine nature when He became human or that He didn’t become “God” until after His death and Resurrection. However, the Bible in its whole context – and even the context of this passage in particular – does not teach this. Let’s have a look...

1) An Ancient Hymn

Some scholars believe this portion of the Philippian Epistle to actually be an ancient hymn used by the early Christians to praise their Saviour. They think this because in the original Greek the passage stands out from the rest of the book with its poetic language. 

If true then the Kenosis Hymn would date even earlier than A.D. 61-62 (the date that Paul is believed to have written Philippians). Whether this was an original hymn borrowed by Paul or whether the Apostle was inspired to write it himself, it is a glorious ode to both the deity and humanity of Jesus Christ and His wondrous condescension to this earth. 

2) Jesus Was Fully God 

Before the Kenosis

John’s Gospel chapter 1 clearly teaches that Jesus (“The Word”) was and has always been the second Person of the Trinity and thus fully God. We see in Philippians 2:6 that Paul reaffirms this. 

“Paul, by the use of the Greek word (‘huparchein’) translated ‘being (or ‘was’),’ informs his Greek readers that our Lord’s possession of the divine essence did not cease to be a fact when He came to earth to assume human form.... This word alone is enough to refute the claim of Modernism that our Lord emptied Himself of His Deity when He became Man.” (Wuest)

The latter part of the verse does not mean that Jesus couldn’t mentally or spiritually “grasp” equality with God. A better translation is found in the footnote of the ESV:  Equality with God was not a thing “to be held onto for advantage”.  The King James Version put it this way: “Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God.” Though He was Creator, Jesus humbled Himself to become like one of His creations.

3) Jesus Was Fully God 

After the Kenosis

So what exactly did Jesus “empty” Himself of in this great passage? There is admittedly some mystery to this question. However, we know from the context of the New Testament that it was not His Divine nature He emptied Himself of but rather His Divine rights; not His Divine attributes but rather His Divine privileges. 

In times of war, a king may have a royal right to stay in the safety of his palace. However, should he choose to relinquish that right and become a soldier on the field that does not mean that he is no longer king. It means that he is now both king and soldier. 

Colossians 2:9 reasserts this truth: “For in him (Jesus Christ) the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily…”

It is also significant that in verses 9 and 10 of Philippians 2, Paul refers to Isaiah 45:23:

“Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other. By myself I have sworn; from my mouth has gone out in righteousness a word that shall not return: ‘To me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear allegiance.” 

It is clear in the Isaiah passage that this prophecy is referring to Yahweh, the Almighty God, and now Paul is boldly applying it to the Lord Jesus. 

4) Jesus Also Became Human 

After the Kenosis

So we see that nothing was subtracted from Jesus’ Divine nature during the Kenosis – but something was added! The term “incarnation” literally means “in the flesh” and refers to God the Son being born as an infant human. 

As the old theologians used to say about Jesus’ Incarnation: “Remaining what He was (God); He became what He was not (human).” In theological terms this is referred to as the Hypostatic Union and is defined as Jesus having two complete but distinct natures simultaneously - one Divine, one human. This is a beautiful paradox.

The two different facial expressions on either side emphasize Christ's dual nature as both divine and human

“And the Word (Jesus) became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:14

5) The Example of Jesus’ Humility 

We have examined this passage in its doctrinal or theological sense but now let’s get to the heart of it. Paul was using the grand condescension of Jesus Christ as an example for all of us believers to follow in how we view ourselves and in how we treat each other. Not only would Jesus step down from his throne in Heaven to take part in our humanity in this broken world; He would go on to suffer the most humiliating and shameful death that a Roman or Jew could think of – crucifixion. 

Commentator, Lynn H. Cohick, writes: “The imperial family, including Augustus, his wife Livia, and her grandson Claudius were all worshiped in the imperial cult in Philippi when Paul wrote this letter. Each member of the imperial family mentioned was granted an apotheosis; that is, they were understood at their death to be changed into a god… But the hymn of Christ speaks of kenosis (emptying), not apotheosis; the hymn declares humiliation/death rather than earthly glorification/divination.”

If Jesus Christ can take on this humiliation, how much more can I?







Philippians 2:5-11 (ESV):

2:5 “Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,[fn] 
2:6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 
2:7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant,[fn] being born in the likeness of men. 
2:8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 
2:9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name,
2:10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”